The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-20


of the river, but on account OF insufilciency
# appropriations these lie idle for at least
seven months In the year. All this time
they are deterioratiRg, and when funds
become available and they are called into
use about the lock sites considerable am.
cunts must each time be expended 10 put
them In even reasonable state Of repairs
The steamboats,, bsrgss, aud other parts OF
the plant provided for this work are SINH.
larly situated. If the work were pushed
to completion all this outfit would become
available for some other locality, and thus
save the government the cost OF dupllca-
ton and continual repairs.
When this work Is completed II will
then be practicable for the large steamers
belonging 10 the upper and lower Missis-
sippi, the Ohio and the Missouri rivers TO
come with their unbroken cargoes to with.
In one hundred miles of Lake Michigan.
All this can be brought about Dy an expen.
diture on the part of the government Of
less than 100000.
The Illinois river, from the western
terminus of the Illinois to Michigan canal
at La Sale to Coppsras creek, about eighty
eight miles below, has been improved by
the state of Illinois, by means OF two locks
and dams similar to those In process OF
construction by the United States on the
river below From La Sale to Joliet the
Illinois and Desplaines have been carefully
surveyed, and plans and estimates OF cost
for their improvement 10 the same navigs-
BILE capacity as the river below have been
made ard submitted TO congress. The
report of this project submitted by Maj W..
II. II. Benyaurd, crops of engineers United
States army, may be found in the chief of
engineers report for 1884, page 1853. The
estimated cost of improving this reach of
the river is So ,433,562 The distance is
siXty.four miles, and the fall one hundred
fset Congress has now before the
engineering data showing the feasibility
and cost of water communication between
the Mississippi and point thirty miles
distant from navigable water leading into
Lake Michigan, sufficiently commodious
for the commercial and military eXigencies
Of the country; and from this point to the
lake perfectly practical routes over which
the line can be constructed are known to
exist. 1t only remains for congress ia
provide the means for making the necess-
AIRY surveys and estimates of cost for con
tinuing this work from Joliet to Lake
Michigan, when it will have the engineer
ing features of the whole subject before it
in shape necessary for intelligent ligisla-
ton. | estimate that about SlO,0 900 will be
sufficient to defray the expenses of the
necessary survey and examinations and
preparation of the plans and estimates OF
costs of the WORK.
The United States and the state of Hi
nois have long been committed to the pro
ject of opening communication between
the Mississippi river and the northern
lakes of capacity sufficient for the wants of
commerce and tor the eXigencies of our
national defence, should those ever arise.
The amount expended by the United States
to the end of the present fiscal year in car
rying out the project is $3.50 623.42 exclu
sive of $62 $3.50 expended on the founda-
ton of the Copperas creek lock, which was
afterward turned over to the state. The
cost of the locks and dams built by the state
of Illinois at Copperas creek and Henry
was $747,747.
The distance by this route from the Gulf
of Mexico to the southern end OF Lake
Michigan is about $50 miles. When the
projected improvement of the Illinois
river between Copperas creek on which we
are now working, has been finished, more
than / $50 miles of this distance Will be
available for the water transportation of
commerce in bulk between these points.
Pushing this i'm ,)rovement through to
the lakes, the connection line will be form
ed which will join the northern lakes with
the vast network of navigable rivers whose
waters flow into the Gulf of Mexico, on a
scale to a certain degree commensurate
with the importance OF the commerce that
will be affected by it. The mere fact that
such route is available will serve as a
wholesome regulator to the rates that
would be eXacted by other methods of
transportation were this one not in eXis-
tence.
Besides the immense commercial advan-
tages tnat may be expected from the com
pletion of the project, there are military
and naval exigencies that might easily arise
where 1t would figure as prominent fac
tor in the problem OF our national defens
es. From whatever point we look at the
subject there is nothing local or sectional
In it. 1t is true that all TO be done happens
to be in the state of Illinois The bene-
tits to he derived belong to the nation at
large. 1t is fortunate, too that at this time
he subject Is unincumbered by any phase
of political character. The problem of
connecting Lake Michigan with the Mi s.
issippi river by commOdious waterway
that could be used for commercial military,
and naval purposes has received attention
from our most thoughtful statemen from
the day of Albert GallaIin to the present
time.
THE QUESTION OF EH.ARGING
the Illinois and Michigan canal from Jol.
lie, to Chicago, ILL.,, to a capacity equal to
the low. water capacity of the improved
Illinois river, has been discussed at some
length by Gen j. II. Wilson in II report to
the chief engineers United States Army
published as Elk Doc. No. l6 III. X. For
tieth congress, first session. Since the date
of that report the conditions which affect
ed the problem in ITS most essential feat
ures Aave materially changed. Additional
engineering data that we are not now In
the possession OF, have become matter
of absolute necessity, and must be collect
and CONF piled before all the facts necessary
to thorough understanding on the subject
can be laid before congress. The board of
engineers appointed under provisions of |
the river and harbOr act approved Aug. .,
1885, to exercise and report upon the lii.
nois and Michigan canal, and the proposed
Hennepin canal, says in its report, Elk. Doc.
No. 10 II. K. Forty ninth congress, second